Parliamentary elections were held in Syria on 22 April 2007. The number of seats reserved for the parties in the National Progressive Front was increased to 170 from 167, decreasing the seats for independents to 80 from 83.[1] The election was boycotted by the opposition in exile, who described it as a "farce".[2]
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All 250 seats in the Parliament of Syria 126 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Turnout | 56.12% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Pre-election events
editThe number of entrants to the parliamentary election race at the deadline reached 9,770, of whom 2,293 were approved, including 158 women. The entrants competed for 250 seats which are divided among the 14 governorates of Syria as follows:
| Governorate | Seats | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Damascus | 29 | 11.6% |
| Rif Dimashq | 19 | 7.6% |
| Quneitra | 5 | 2% |
| Daraa | 10 | 4% |
| As Suwaydā' | 6 | 2.4% |
| Homs | 23 | 9.2% |
| Tartous | 13 | 5.2% |
| Latakia | 17 | 6.8% |
| Hama | 22 | 8.8% |
| Idlib | 18 | 7.2% |
| Aleppo | 52 | 20.8% |
| Raqqa | 8 | 3.2% |
| Deir ez-Zor | 14 | 5.6% |
| Al Hasakah | 14 | 5.6% |
Results
editAccording to results released on 26 April 2007, the National Progressive Front won 169 seats, while independents won the other 81 seats.[3] Turnout was 56.12% of the 11.96 million eligible voters, and 30 female candidates were elected, exactly as many as in 2003.[4] Opponents of the government and human rights activists claimed fraud and a turnout of at most 10 percent.[5]
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|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Seats | +/– | |
| Ba'ath Party | 134 | –1 | |
| Arab Socialist Union Party | 8 | +1 | |
| Socialist Unionist Party | 6 | –1 | |
| Syrian Communist Party (Bakdash) | 5 | +1 | |
| Democratic Socialist Unionist Party | 4 | 0 | |
| Arab Socialist Movement | 3 | –1 | |
| Syrian Communist Party (Faisal) | 3 | –1 | |
| National Covenant Party | 3 | +1 | |
| Syrian Social Nationalist Party | 2 | +2 | |
| Arab Democratic Union Party | 1 | New | |
| Social Democratic Unionists | 0 | New | |
| Independents | 81 | –2 | |
| Total | 250 | 0 | |
| Source: Syrian Parliament | |||
References
edit- ^ Criticism of the Upcoming Parliamentary Elections in the Official Syrian Press and Among the Syrian Opposition Middle East Media Research Institute, Accessed 27 April 2007
- ^ Ruling Syrian party wins election BBC News, Accessed 27 April 2007
- ^ Syria's ruling party wins parliament elections People's Daily, Accessed 27 April 2007
- ^ Syria's ruling party wins in vote[permanent dead link] Houston Chronicle, Accessed 27 April 2007
- ^ JTW News - Elections in Syria